![]() ![]() To see them soaring at an altitude of that of jet aircraft and suddenly swoop down at speeds of over 320km per hour, in a long diagonal trail to hit their prey with one wing before their talons take grip, is one of nature’s wonders to behold. Interestingly this year, in my southwest England home that, apart from bitterly cold winds and heavy snowfall for two weeks of this winter, the temperatures have been very mild thus the peregrine falcons have remained and not migrated. The name peregrine refers to its peregrinations or wanderings for, in temperate latitudes, it seasonally migrates in winter to the south and returns to northern latitudes for breeding in the summer months. Known as ‘the bird of kings’ for its hunting prowess, the word ‘falco’ is derived from the Latin word for ‘sickle’ referring to the pointed nature of the bird’s wings as it plummets downwards towards its prey. There are 19 sub-species of Falco peregrinus, but the Bornean species (Falco peregrinus ernesti), found in Sarawak and Kalimantan, is quite distinct from the others in its very obvious, dense, dark bars on its undersides. Peregrine falcons are much admired in Middle Eastern sheikdoms where they can fetch extraordinarily high prices. The Brahminy kite’s chestnut brown plumage is thus replicated. This form of manganese ore is used on the island and exported worldwide to decorate pottery. Nearer to home, Pulau Langkawi is so called because ‘lang’ means sea-eagle and ‘kawi’ is derived from the locally mined cinnabar ore with its distinctive vermillion colouration. Celebrated in other cultures in both India and Indonesia, its strengths as a raptor are most revered. This raptor was seen as the manifestation of Sengalang Burong, the god of war, who occasionally comes down to earth. In the upper reaches of the Sungai Rajang in Sarawak, the Iban community has worshipped this bird and legends still exist. The hen incubates the eggs for nearly a month and two months after hatching the fledglings leave to relocate in a nearby area. ![]() These kites breed between December and April with the hen laying a clutch two large oval eggs in a nest, usually built in mangrove trees of twigs and with a deep bowl lined with leaves. Near Batu Pahat, they often sweep down into the sea to catch medium sized fish from the Straits of Malacca or even attack the fish in villagers’ ornamental ponds. They are known as ‘the heralds of the monsoons’, for they tend to migrate from areas of strong monsoonal winds, simply because of a distinct lack of thermal, uplifting currents of air in which to soar. In Malaysia, Brahminy kites are found throughout coastal areas in the Peninsula and across into Borneo and beyond into Sulawesi. The latter species of kite are seen soaring over the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, UK. This distinct call is not dissimilar from that of its European cousin the Red kite’s call of ‘peelew’. Holastur indus intermedius is known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia because of its chestnut brown plumage, white head and breast, black wingtips, rounded tail and its long whistling call of ‘keeyew’ makes it an easily recognised bird of prey. ![]() On the sheer rock face of a long disused quarry, only 400 metres from my home in Somerset, UK, I have had the pleasure of seeing a pair of peregrine falcons annually nest and breed for the last 10 years or so. Relatively recently, when visiting an international school near Batu Pahat, Johor, I witnessed a Brahminy kite emerging from a nearby mangrove reserve to scoop up unwanted fish thrown overboard from a fishing boat, and the next month, whilst attending a nephew’s wedding in London, suddenly, in a nearby park, a peregrine falcon zoomed down and killed a feral pigeon only five metres away from me. On minute these birds may be seen circling overhead and next minute plunging down in kamikaze-pilot fashion to hit theirprey with force. IN 1823, the word raptor was given to an order of birds, Raptores, which includes buzzards, eagles, hawks, kites and owls, which all seize their prey and transport them away. ![]()
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